Meet Shanise Woods | Fashion Accessories Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanise Woods and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanise, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in Plainfield, NJ. I am an only child to a wonderful single mother, Brenda. Growing up my mother worked hard to give me things and experiences that she never had as a child. My mother always taught me the importance of being a honest, hardworking person. So at 16yrs old I had my first retail job.

While in college I started working for Talbots. This is where I received my foundation. I worked there off and on for 15 yrs. They taught me so much about product knowledge, customer service, merchandising, etc.
I was also in the Top 500 sales associates bonus program for many years. Yeah I had my own client book and everything.

One great thing I loved while there, was when the company would get rid of fixtures, etc. I was always taking stuff home. It got so bad my mother told me I could no longer bring anything else home. Our basement was full of fixtures, Mannequins, etc.
But In my mind I was holding on the items for when I open my store. I had always told myself way before I started my company that one day I was going to have a business. I’m grateful for the lessons learned at Talbots and other employers I have worked for. Many good, Some bad. But these life lessons were necessary.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I offer custom home and living items such as mugs, journals, pillows, bags and luggage sets. I also have a Whipped Shea Custard(Butter) line. I think what sets me apart from others is that I am not afraid to try something new.

Staying focused and pushing my business is what keeps me going. It’s definitely not easy. Some days business is booming, other days it’s slow.

The lessons I’ve learned is to pray, don’t give up and keep promoting my business.

I would want the world to know that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would probably take them to New York City for some light shopping and Rockefeller Center to look at the Christmas Tree. Then we would go to Harlem to Melba’s Restaurant for some good eats.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my amazing mother, Brenda. She has been my rock. I don’t know what I would do without her. Her continuous prayers and encouragement has kept me going. If it wasn’t for her reminding me Who I am and that I can do all things with GOD, I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago.

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Image Credits
Shanise Woods